Sedum plant named ‘Touchdown Flame’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct hybrid of  Sedum  plant substantially as shown and described, with creamy yellow flowers, dark red brown to green leaves, strong, dark red stems, multiple crowns, a dense, low, arching habit, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Sedum telephium (Syn. Hylotelephium telephium).

Variety designation: ‘Touchdown Flame’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Sedum telephium and given the cultivar name of ‘Touchdown Flame’. Sedum is in the family Crassulaceae. The new cultivar is part of a planned breeding program to make short, compact, multicrown plants. The new cultivar originated from a cross of between Sedum 158-2, a proprietary, unselected seedling as the seed parent and Sedum 235-2, a proprietary, unselected seedling as the pollen parent.

Compared to the seed parent, Sedum 158-2, the new cultivar, has a much better habit and creamy yellow flowers rather than light pink.

Compared to the pollen parent, Sedum 235-2, the new cultivar has larger, greener leaves and a lower habit.

Compared to Sedum ‘Desert Blonde’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,901, the new cultivar has foliage that is dark red brown to green rather than gray green and flowers that are more yellow.

This new and unique Sedum is distinguished by:

-   -   1. creamy yellow flowers,     -   2. dark red brown to green leaves,     -   3. strong, dark red stems,     -   4. multiple crowns,     -   5. a dense, low, arching habit, and     -   6. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a 16 month old plant of the new cultivar in mid-May in the trial bed in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows a 17 month old Sedum ‘Touchdown Flame’ growing in the garden in early June in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 3 shows a 2 year old plant of Sedum ‘Touchdown Flame’ with flowers and fruit in the garden in July in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Sedum hybrid based on observations of 10 month old specimens grown in the trial bed in full sun under typical outdoor conditions in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95° F. in August to 32°F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.         -   Size.—23 cm tall from the ground to the top the             inflorescence and 38 cm wide.         -   Habit.—Low, clumping mound.         -   Vigor.—Excellent. -   Stem:     -   -   Number.—About 7.         -   Size.—11 cm long and 5 mm wide.         -   Internode length.—1 cm to 5 cm long.         -   Color.—Red Purple 59A.         -   Texture.—Succulent.         -   Surface.—Glabrous. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Obtuse.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Margins.—Coarsely serrate.         -   Blade size.—Grows to 12.5 cm long and 7 cm wide, average             size 4 cm to 8.5 cm long and 2.2 cm to 4 cm wide.         -   Surface.—Glabrous on both sides.         -   Texture.—Thick, spongy, succulent.         -   Petiole.—Leaves sessile.         -   Leaf color.—Topside early spring Yellow Green 147C on young             leaves both sides transitioning to Red Purple 187A as leaves             mature (transitioning leaves with veins Red Purple 187A near             base) with bottom side Yellow Green 147C including vein;             spring Red Purple 187A when mature, bottom side Yellow Green             147C tinted Greyed Purple 187A; topside summer to fall             between Greyed Purple 187A and Brown 200A with the vein             Greyed Purple 187A; bottom side Yellow Green 147C tinted             Greyed Purple 187A with the vein Yellow Green 146C. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Terminal, corymbose, umbel-like.         -   Number of flowers.—500 to 1000 per stem (increases with             age).         -   Pedicels.—1 mm long, 1 mm wide, glabrous, Yellow Green 147B.         -   Peduncle.—Grows to 7 cm tall and 4 mm wide, Greyed Purple             187B, glabrous.         -   Size.—Grows to 18 cm deep and 12 cm wide.         -   Bloom period.—August through October in Canby, Oreg. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—2.5 mm wide, 3 mm deep.         -   Description.—Ovoid.         -   Color.—White 155B tinted Red Purple 59C at the tip. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—Actinomorphic.         -   Shape.—Stellate.         -   Size.—3 mm deep and 3 mm wide.         -   Corolla description.—3 mm deep and 3 mm wide, 5 petals, each             lanceolate, 4 mm long and 2 mm wide, margins entire, tip             acuminate, glabrous on both sides, top side Yellow 4D,             bottom side White 155B tinted Red Purple 59C at the tip.         -   Calyx description.—2 mm deep and 2 mm wide, stellate, 5             lobes, divided to the base, margins entire, tip acute,             glabrous, Yellow Green 147C with margins Red Purple 187A on             both sides.         -   Stamen description.—10, 3.1 mm long, filaments 3 mm long and             White NN155C, anthers Red Purple 59A, no pollen.         -   Pistil description.—5 separate prominent carpels, each 2 mm             deep and 1.5 mm wide, Yellow 4C overall, style 2 mm long.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Lastingness.—Each stem lasts up to a month. -   Fruit:     -   -   Type.—Ventrally dehiscent follicle, erect, attenuate.         -   Fertility.—Low.         -   Size.—4 mm wide and 5 mm deep.         -   Color.—Yellow Green 145C surrounded by Greyed Orange 177A. -   Seed: None seen. -   Disease and pest resistance or tolerance: Pest and disease     resistance are typical for this type of Sedum. No known resistances. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct hybrid of Sedum plant as herein illustrated and described. 